A novel alternative

Sprightly Paperight intern Ra’essa Pather takes us through her lifelong journey with books, arguing along the way that, even though Paperight works best for people in need of educational and academic texts, it offers a lot to recreational readers, too.

Paperight may be relatively new to the publishing world, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in content. A lot of focus has been placed on the academic material Paperight provides, and with good reason too: cheaper textbooks, anyone? Reading for educational purposes is undoubtedly essential, but if you’re looking for an affordable way to read for pleasure, we can help you there too.

Everyone has their own little list of books they keep close. A couple of titles may be embarrassing, and some may be noted for their chime of intelligence. As an English major, my list has evolved as every semester has passed. My introduction to literature began with the great Roald Dahl. Fantastic Mr. Fox was my favourite story and, though I haven’t read the book in many years, I still remember Mr. Fox as one of the wittiest, craftiest characters of my childhood. My next great obsession was Harry Potter. I read and re-read each book until the next – hopefully even larger – novel in the series was released. High school brought about a confusing mix of novels, many of which I don’t remember. Some are still carefully etched into my list today, however: The Beach (the novel written by Alex Garland thrives above the movie it inspired), The Kite Runner, Spud and Memoirs of a Geisha. University has brought a greater appreciation for texts that lie inside and outside the canon of English literature. In high school I was disgruntled by Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby, whereas now I find the story of Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy to be tragically sublime.

Had it not been for my studies, I probably would never have read many of the novels I’ve read in recent years. One of which is Frankenstein.

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